Is my Job Search Really a Full-time Job?

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Q. I am unemployed, and donít have a manager to assign my work, my deadlines or even to set my expectations. Iím not doing a great job of holding myself accountable to anything. How do I manage my job search so that I can actually find a job? Is it really a full time job?

A: Yes, an effective job search is a full time job, and if you think you need help managing your time during the job search, then you probably do. Recruit your most organized friend or family member to help establish a schedule and plan for how you will complete job search activities each day. Even with friends to support you, you can probably benefit from job search management tools like jibberjobber.com. It's a free and easy-to-use tool that allows you to manage your job search information, activity and your career when you land your next great opportunity.

As with any full time job, you donít spend 40 hours doing one thing. There are many projects; some are higher priority than others, and performing high value tasks is the best way to be successful. After you develop a great resume and cover letter, develop your project plan and follow it. Start and:

Set a schedule: Decide how much time you are realistically willing and able to dedicate to your job search and set a daily schedule that maps to that plan. The most successful job seekers dedicate at least 25 hours a week to job search activities and they stick to it.
Put yourself out there: Effective job seekers do not sit in front of computer all day and apply for jobs. They schedule at least three face-to-face networking meetings a week and the phone time it takes to make that happen. The more you network and sell your talents to people in person, the more memorable you will be and the more likely these contacts will refer you to others.

Get Out of the House: Laundry, rooms that need to be painted and dust bunnies may be calling you every minute you are at home. Ignore all that noise and find a job search support group. Civic and religious organizations offer these, as well as outplacement firms. Surround yourself with people doing the same kind of work.
Take a time out: Take time out during the week to schedule social time and time to enjoy not working. Schedule breaks for yourself each day to do things like exercise, read the news and eat well. As important as it is for you to be diligent in your job search, itís also important to take the same kind of breaks you would allow yourself during a workday so that you avoid burning out.

Avoid Avoidance: Itís easy to spend time on unimportant details like the font style on your resume to avoid high-priority tasks, but committing to the hard work is what pays off; itís a must. If you donít like making calls to schedule networking meetings, start your day with at least 30 minutes of that activity. Avoid the trivial and easy activity, and push yourself to complete the challenging high value activity that may make you uncomfortable, but will make you employed.